Surry man dies in Route 10 crash
Published 1:02 pm Friday, December 17, 2021
A Surry man died in a single-vehicle crash on Dec. 17.
The crash occurred on the Route 10 Bypass in Smithfield roughly 10 minutes before noon. According to the Virginia State Police, 72-year-old Lester Charles Judkins was driving a pickup truck in the eastbound lanes when he swerved to avoid colliding with traffic that had stopped due to a lane closure for road repairs, overcorrected, and ran off the road. His vehicle then struck a bank off the roadway and overturned.
Judkins was transported to Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News where he later succumbed to his injuries.
According to police, neither alcohol nor speed were factors in the crash, and Judkins was wearing his seatbelt. Police released his name on Dec. 18 after notifying his next of kin.
The Smithfield Police Department also responded to the scene.
The roadway had been closed in both directions for nearly four hours following the crash, but reopened shortly before 4 p.m. the day of the incident.